Update: The following updates relating to this announcement have been issued:

June 1, 2012 - Clarification of Position Statements on Implementation of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: Eighth Edition. See NOT-OD-12-112.

December 2, 2011 - See Notice NOT-OD-12-020. Adoption and Implementation of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: Eighth Edition.

June 9, 2011 - See Notice NOT-OD-11-082 This notice is to announce that the comment period on NIH’s proposed adoption and implementation of the eighth edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide) closed on May 24, 2011.

April 21, 2011 - See Notice NOT-OD-11-066 Additional Extension of Comment Period on Proposed Adoption and Implementation of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: Eighth Edition and Removal of Character Limit for Commen.

March 18, 2011 - See Notice NOT-OD-11-056 Extended Comment Period on Proposed Adoption and Implementation of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: Eighth Edition.

February 24, 2011 - See Notice NOT-OD-11-042 Public Comment Period Open on Proposed Adoption and Implementation of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals: Eighth Edition.

Key Dates
Release Date: June 4, 2010

Issued by
Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare (OLAW), (http://olaw.nih.gov/), Office of Extramural Research

This Notice informs Public Health Service (PHS) grantee institutions regarding the release of a prepublication copy of the 8th Edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (Guide) by the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research of the National Academy of Sciences.

Background

The PHS Policy on Humane Care and Use of Laboratory Animals (PHS Policy) requires that Assured institutions base their programs of animal care and use on the Guide and that they comply with the regulations (9 CFR, Subchapter A) issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under the Animal Welfare Act.

Update of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals

The following guidance applies to PHS-supported institutions holding Animal Welfare Assurances (Assurances) with the Office of Laboratory Animal Welfare.

Until the 8th Edition of the Guide is published in its final form, the 1996 Edition will remain the official Guide for the purposes of implementation of the PHS Policy. OLAW will issue guidance on implementation of the 8th Edition of the Guide after it is published.